


So Shut Your Eyes

by KilltheDJ



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album), My Chemical Romance
Genre: Bickering, No angst here, The venom brothers, his name is runway, only fluff, teddy bear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 15:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20010802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KilltheDJ/pseuds/KilltheDJ
Summary: The Venom Brothers were called the Venom Brothers for more than one reason. It wasn't just because of the dangerous duo they made, but because they (according to Zone legend) had a penchant for arguing.But, despite their reputation, they were just teenagers, too, and Kobra Kid just can't sleep without his teddy bear.





	So Shut Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kryptidkat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kryptidkat/gifts).



Of course Kobra didn't notice at first, busy with fine-tuning his motorbike and studiously ignoring his brother in the garage. When it came to silent sulking, Kobra was the best. Even Jet eventually spilled.

Besides, he had no reason to believe Runway - the name of the bear serves as both an inside joke and some hidden significance Ghoul and Jet would never know - was missing. Not until dusk fell and Jet shooed him out of the garage, affectionately claiming, "You can go now, Party went to sleep a while ago, idiot."

That was about when he noticed; he always put Runway in the same spot, tucked under his pillow and out of sight at first, if only because it was more than slightly embarrassing to be a renowned badass in the Zones, and then also be seventeen and still sleeping with a stuffed bear. 

Real panic didn't set in until after he searched the entirety of his room and the kitchen. For the life of him, Kobra could not find Runway. 

No, no, that wasn't okay. He couldn't sleep without Runway; he wasn't exaggerating, either, which made it even worse - he really, really couldn't sleep without the ratty old bear next to him. Last time he'd misplaced it was sometime when he and Party had first gotten out to the Desert, hadn't settled in the diner; he made Party snuggle him until he fell asleep, terrified he'd lost that comfort item.

He couldn't lose Runway. 

It was stupid, it was just a bear, but Kobra spent all night looking for it, well after Jet and Ghoul had also resigned themselves to the clock. Well after the subzero temperatures of the Desert nights set in, Kobra was rummaging through cabinets, through every possible drawer he could think of. 

By the time the sun rose, the temperature increasing rapidly, Kobra was sitting atop the bar counter, restlessly drumming his fingertips on his grimy jeans. He didn't know where else to look - he was quite positive Runway hadn't been out of the diner, not at all, so that wasn't an option. So where…?

It was stupid, anyway, Kobra thought when he saw Jet lingering in the kitchen. Stupid stupid, just a stuffed bear. He was seventeen. He didn't need a bear.

Kobra's act for the day was pretending he believed that thought.

~

Night rolled around again -

For the love of the Witch, Kobra still couldn't find Runway. Not that he'd been looking, really, intentionally...Offhand glances toward crevices, looking in cabinets when no one was paying him any mind. He didn't need a stuffed bear, right?

It was a complete and utter lie. He hadn't heard one quite as unbelievable since Party said -

Well, he was going to stop that train of delusions immediately. There was an entire night ahead to try to fall asleep, and memories sparking was not how Kobra intended to start it off. 

After sitting in the dark for upwards of thirty minutes, tossing, turning. Unable to close his eyes without the imagery of ghosts nipping at his arms, Kobra relinquished any goal he had of sleep. One reason he loved Runway as much as he did was because - it was a childish belief, he knew, with no logic to back it - Runway kept monsters away, they couldn't come near him if Runway was there.

By nature, Kobra liked night hours to those of daylight, but even he eventually went to bed before dawn blanketed the desert, having finished his task. Somehow, there was no tasks for him to occupy his time with. He'd already touched up the paint on his motorbike, repainted his iconic yellow GOOD LUCK helmet, and organized all the loose screws and tools in the garage. 

Funny how a little panic and insomnia could make you so productive. His body wanted him to sleep, too - his eyes were heavy, his attention drifted, and his fine motor skills were starting to slip, like trying to use the smallest allen wrench they had to take out the screws in the back of Jet's tool bench. The allen wrench fell three times.

Despite Kobra's attempts to stray far, far away from thoughts of his recent memories and (most notably) his brother, his thoughts seemed to have a different inclination and kept bringing it up.

Party was always a suitable replacement for Runway...The same childish belief Kobra clung onto about his bear was also true for his brother. Party was his big brother; if Party was around, then nothing could get to him. Party would hurt anyone that tried and he would hold and comfort Kobra.

If only it was that black-and-white. The remaining dark hours were spent tucking himself into a corner of the diner's kitchen, reminiscing on past memories. Mostly memories of him and Party.

In the morning, Ghoul barely gave him a glance as he climbed onto the counter to reach a...distasteful can of Power Pup. Neither did Jet, which Kobra appreciated.

Party, apparently, either didn't get the memo or didn't care. Considering he seemingly did not get the memo he and Kobra weren't on speaking terms, Kobra justifiably believed the former. Giving him a sidelong glance, Party gestured vaguely in Kobra's direction. "D'ya want some?"

Kobra shook his head 'no', not bothering to ask what Party was offering. Talking to Party seemed like the first event in a line of dominoes, and Kobra had no intention of finding out what was at the end of that line.

~

Nightfall again. Kobra had nearly fallen asleep in the back seat of the Trans Am on a drive over to Dr. D's station to trade something with Show Pony; paired with the frequent yawns and drooping eyelids, it was obvious exhaustion was seeping into both his mind and body.

There was still no success in finding Runway…Without too much shame, Kobra would admit he cried, ever-so-slightly while sitting in that kitchen corner. With the situation, he felt it was okay. His bear was important to him, and somehow, somehow he lost it.

An impossibility as the others settled to bed was speculating he could stay up another night. Another fruitless search concluded it was his only option, unless…

No, he couldn't.

Asking Party to cuddle him until he fell asleep after an argument was ridiculous. The fact the idea even crossed his mind should've made Kobra want to laugh. 

But...he didn't want to laugh. He wanted to fall asleep and he wanted to sleep without the withering plague of nightmares usually kept at bay. And...What was the worst Party could say, anyway? 

'No, go away'? That wasn't too bad, right?

Kobra tried to believe a simple three-word sentence was the worst Party could come up with after being roused in the middle of the night, even as he gathered his courage, shucked off his jacket, and changed into his pajamas for the first time in a few days. They had little moons on them that Kobra liked, though maybe he was only thing on that because he wanted to procrastinate his task.

Said task was caving in and telling Party he lost Runway. Kobra suddenly wished the walk to Party's room was a little longer. (Well. Party and Ghoul's room, but they only shared it because Jet snored and Ghoul said the 'broom closet is uncomfortable, of course I'm not sleeping in a broom closet!)

There was no reason to bother knocking, so Kobra forgoed that nicety and crept toward Party's side of the dirty mattress they'd scavenged, illuminated by the bright red of his hair glowing in the spilt light from the hallway. 

"Party?" Kobra asked quietly, shaking his shoulder gently. Party had never been a heavy sleeper, so Kobra hoped it would do. "Party, you awake?"

"Am now…" Party groaned, voice thick with sleep. Sitting up slightly, he rubbed his eyes, squinting at Kobra like he couldn't tell if he was seeing right. "Wha' - wha's wrong Kobes?"

Kobra shrugged self-consciously, suddenly rethinking this entire thing again. He shouldn't have woken Party up. Party didn't want to talk to him, anyway. "I - um. I can't find Runway."

Party eventually decided on propping himself up with his elbows, giving Kobra a quizzical look. "Your bear? Are you sure?"

"Haven't seen 'im for two days…" Kobra mumbled, calves protesting against crouching down. Whatever, they were the least of his concern. "And - uh - you...you usually slept next to me when I lose Runway…"

"You sure?" Party repeated, a pleasantly surprised tone dotting his words as he seemingly did not care about volume nor Ghoul sleeping next to him. Ghoul could sleep through a war, that was for certain.

"I wouldn't have woken you up if I wasn't," Kobra said. Part of him wanted snap at Party, but the other half was so, so overjoyed Party hadn't immediately demeaned him. Then again, it was Party. Why did Kobra think his brother would be so quick to belittle him?

In response, Party simply hummed, quietly slipping out of the safety of his blankets, and hissing at the cold floor. 

Before Kobra could ask what he was doing, considering he'd never been the most observant or logical, Party grasped his hands and walked them both back to Kobra's room.

He gave the room a one-over. Like Kobra hadn't checked every nook and cranny his bear could be. And he said as much- "Like I haven't scoured this room. You won't find it."

Party shrugged. "Makin' sure. Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

Leave it to Party to bring up the elephant in the room Kobra oh-so wanted to ignore. Well, kind of. 

"We were arguing," was all Kobra said, kicking slightly as his nest of blankets serving as his own bed. The Diner, luckily, kept in some heat (even if one of the broken windows in front didn't help) and protection from freezing temperatures, so Kobra could afford to take so many blankets from the others. (It was fair. Jet made his makeshift bed out of almost all the pillows.)

"Seriously?" Party scoffed, sitting cross-legged ingo the nest-bed, gesturing for Kobra to follow. "You kept yourself up for two nights - trust me, I know you have, I know how much Runway means - because we were being petty?"

It sounded insanely sumb when it was put that way. Nevertheless, Kobra nodded slowly, sitting. "We weren't talking."

"Yes? We were?" Party seemed genuinely confused, which elicited a small laugh from Kobra. Sleep deprivation did that, occasionally, made him laugh at odd times. "I figured you were busy."

"I was busy ignoring you." Put bluntly, but it was true. 

Party laughed and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Really? I thought we were just having a spat, kiddo. Didn't know you were that upset. Let's get some sleep, alright?"

Without answering Kobra laid down, situating his blankets out to where no one would die of hypothermia later on (even though Party was a blanket hog and took any opportunity to blanket steal, even in sleep). 

Party being next to him made the possibility of sleeping easier to grasp, easier to accept without the fear of a nightmare winding through his thoughts. Something about being home, something about being protected.

When they woke up, they could discuss how in the Zones either of them managed to turn bickering about who the better driver was. (It was honestly a loaded debate. Technically speaking, Kobra had never driven anything in his life. He did ride a motorbike, though. But Party was just a bad driver.) For now, though, they would sleep curled up next to each other, safe, away from the troubles of their lives.  
~  
Ghoul grinned as he snapped a photo of Party and Kobra cuddling, with an old pre-Helium Wars polaroid camera he'd won in a bet years ago. Only used it for special occasions.

Jet took the photo and tossed it between his hands as it developed, not even raising a brow. "So. What'd you do with the bear?"

"Hid it in me and Party's room, under a pile of clothes," Ghoul answered casually.

**Author's Note:**

> Yee yee I got off my ass and wrote something !! Not for any of my serious fics, but, take what you can get I suppose. Thoughts? Always appreciated!!


End file.
